Unchained Bonds: The Saviors on the Dock
---- Unchained Bonds Arc The Saviors on the Dock ---- Gia walked down the streets of Markia, trying not to let her anger overtake her. Then again, she looked like a madwoman storming down the streets with her "don't-even-breathe-on-me" look on her face. She inhaled deeply and then sighed. Why was it that Axel always antagonized her? Was he discriminative against anyone who wasn't a pale-skinned, dark-haired workaholic soldier? Gia passed by a shop and looked at the windows to see her reflection. "Well I've got three out of four things," she mentally noted. She ran her hand down her skirt to smooth it from wrinkles. She decided to stick to her graduate uniform that was specially made for her by the academy. They never had a thirteen year old female recruit before, but come on! At seventeen, she tired of the same skirt and button up jacket. For modesty purposes, she even switched the black knee socks for a pair of leggings. She had too much modesty to afford a wardrobe malfunction. The concrete below her feet soon became the rickety boards of the docks. Gia breathed in the salty ocean air and smiled. This was probably without a doubt her most favorite part of the city: the ocean. The blue sea looked as if it was painted, it was so gorgeous! As much as she would like to take a dip in said beauty, it was illegal. She scowled remembering how many times she had to fish out a drunk citizen on New Years Eve because they were dared to. Gia looked up at the large building that happened to be her destination: the Miracle Fish guild hall. This is where she would show Axel and all the other military personnel that she wasn't a traitor. She'd prove that she really was an ally. "You'd think after three years of devotion to the city's safety that people would learn to trust you, but I guess not." ''Gia thought bitterly to herself. Without another negative thought, she opened the large wood doors into the guild hall. ---- "''Prominence Whip!" shouted Reed as he let his wires dance with flames onto his opponent. Carly's hat flew off her head along with her scarf as she was blown back by the onslaught of wires coated in flames. She landed on her backside with a loud "oof!" and huffed in frustration. "Carly has fallen! The winner is Reed!" Cara announces, as she was the referee for this special match. Carly growled at the sky. "No fair! You're better at long ranged attacks than me!" the younger mage complained. Reed smirked and reached his hand out to her to let her up. "Not really, I just let my flames do the dancing." he vaguely explained. "That sounds lame." Carly deadpanned. Cara laughed and watched as steam erupted from Reed's ears. He was about to reply, but was interrupted by the arrival of another guild member with an announcement. "Reed, Cara, have any of you seen Haru around?" asked the mage. Cara curled her finger under her chin and began to think. "Hmmm," she pondered. "Last I saw him he was with the Master." "Yeah he was going to be next for the "person-who-falls-on-their-ass-first" loses challenge, but he went to go talk to the master and hasn't come back." Reed told him. "Why you need somethin'?" "Not me," the mage put up his hands in defense. "Her." he motioned to the left of him. The three mages were then greeted by a very familiar face. "Gia?!" they all shouted. "Hey guys, it's been a while." she greeted. Over the years, she had reconciled with Team Atlantic and the rest of Miracle Fish after she turned a new leaf. Needless to say, they forgave her and welcomed her as if she was a member of their own guild. Jordan has tried on numerous occasions to make her a permanent member, but much to his dismay she swore off the whole guild scene years ago. "What brings you here, shorty?" Reed greets her as he always does by ruffling her dark, messy hair. Gia smiled up at the green haired man. He was like the goofy older brother she never had. "Is that old coot Axel troublin' ya?" Carly joked as she rested her shoulder on the younger mage's head. "Lemme rough him up a bit and I guarantee he won't be on your ass a day longer." Carly had taken a while to forgive Gia for what she had done, which was understandable. It isn't everyday someone tries to kill you because you've got issues. "I heard you turned seventeen two weeks ago, happy late birthday!" Cara said. Gia had always thought she was the one who kept things together for her team, but nobody was perfect. Cara too suffers imperfections and knows what it's like to hate yourself for something that wasn't even your fault. "Thanks, but actually I'm here to see Haru. I'm sure you all saw the show this morning in the market square." Gia explained. "Who hasn't by now?" Reed says. "That guy is a psycho. Is he really the son of Hades?" Gia nods in confirmation. "Yeah, he's a demon like me and Haru. But don't worry, I won't go siding with him." she reassured her friends, not like they doubted her. "Unlike some people." she reminded herself bitterly. "We've all got faith in you Gia, you don't have to tell us that." Cara said. "What does Haru have to do with all this?" "Well you see, my father says that the only way to defeat this Alejandro guy is to find his sister." Gia begins to explain. "His sister is the strongest out of their siblings, but after their dad was vanquished they had a dispute over the throne. It must've been a huge falling out because she's disappeared and no one's heard from her since." "Yeesh." Carly comments and Reed nods in agreement. "Anyway, my dad believes she's in a dark realm." Gia continues. "A dark realm?" Cara repeats in shock. "But normal mages can't go in dark realms! You'd have to be a Darkness user to-" "That's exactly why I'm here." Gia finishes for her. Cara looks at Gia incredulously and tilts her head. "But...you're not a darkness user, you expect him to go alone?" "Absolutely not." Gia reassures her. "All demons, whether half-breeds or complete, have a tie to the darkness. It's why we're able to poke through any kind of spells in that category. We were born in it." "But what if something happens to you both?" Cara reasons. "We'd be defenseless against those heathens." "They'll be fine, Cara." Carly tells her friend. "They're our best bet for this situation. We have to trust in them that they'll make it out in one piece to-" "WHERE IS SHE?!" a girlish voice boomed through the guild hall. Carly groaned in annoyance. "Oh hell, the devil himself has arrived." "Who is that? Is she looking for you?" Gia asked, unfazed. Carly opened her mouth but was flown to the grass by a blob of pink. If it didn't have a mouth, Gia would've thought it was a bubblegum monster. "You!" a pink-haired woman shrieked in Gia's face. "So you're the one I heard about! You're "looking" for Haru, huh?! Well guess what! He's mine and I won't let some gloomy faced, adolescent take him away from me!" Gia stared flatly at the woman who was clearly delusional if she was addressing her like this. "Uh, I assume I was supposed to be offended but I stopped listening after you said guess what." she said. "I didn't know Haru had a lady friend." "No, he doesn't." Carly said annoyed, looking like she might kill the girl for shoving her. "This is Gigi Stratus, one of Haru's followers. She tries to gain his attention but just like all the rest, she fails hilariously." Reed introduces with the least amount of enthusiam ever. "Shut up, slime!" Gigi snaps at him. "I'm not like those floozies, don't get it twisted. Besides, it's not like you've had any luck in love." Reed growls and takes a step foreward, but is stopped by Gia's hand on his chest. "Look, you must be mistaken. I am here to recruit Haru to take him on a mission. I could care less about his affections." Gia explains, trying to diffuse the situation. "That's what they all say, honey." Gigi retorts with her hands on her hips. "You're cute and everything, but I sincerely doubt Haru would take a spin with someone who looks ten." Don't snap her neck. Don't snap her neck. Don't snap her neck. '''Don't '''snap her neck. Gia took a deep breath as she repeated the mantra in her head. "What are you, five? If you didn't have a mouth and those big, buggy eyes I'd think you were some kind of bubblegum monster." Reed chortled behind his hand and Cara laughed silently behind his back. Carly laughed loudly. She clearly held disdain for this girl and Gia didn't blame her. She was awful! "Oh please, I would utterly decimate you in a battle." Gigi brags. "You won't look so cute when you've got ugly welts on your face and then Haru wouldn't even sneeze in your direction!" "Now let's not get ridiculous here!" Cara stands between the two. "Gigi, this has obviously escalated so why don't we just-" "Mind your business! What are you of all people going to do about it, scaredy cat?" Gigi spits. Cara's face becomes washed with hurt as she looks down. Gigi smirks at the effectiveness of her insult and turns her attention back to her new enemy. "Let's do it, you and me. One. on. one." she challenges. "If you've got the guts." On the word guts, Gigi shoves Gia and she stumbles back a bit. With reawakened fire in her eyes, it is clear her patience is has run thin with the obsessed mage. "You're on." Gia says, looking up with a smirk. "Just don't cry when I beat you, princess."